Our children can breathe easier now that our public playgrounds, picnic areas, and Pioneer Courthouse Square are smokefree - thanks to new rules passed by the Portland City Council. If someone is smoking near a playground or picnic area you can politely let them know about the smokefree rules and ask them to smoke elsewhere.
If you would like to say "thanks" to the City Council and share your thoughts on smokefree rules for other areas of parks, here are two quick and fun activities for you and your family:
- Send an email through the Amerian Lung Association of Oregon website.
- Portland-area teens ages 12-19 can enter the Smokefree Parks YouTube Video Challenge. Make a 60 second video about why parks should be smokefree for a chance to win a $100 REI gift certificate. Check out the contest at http://www.youtube.com/group/smokefreeparkspdx
Portland's children deserve healthy and smokefree places to play. Model healthy behavior around our youth, and make our parks a more vibrant place for our children to thrive. If you or someone in your family smokes, you can use this opportunity to quit by calling the Oregon Tobacco Quitline 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free counseling, referrals, and medication.
The YouTube contest and email letter writing campaign are projects of the Tobacco-Free Tri-Counties Coalition. For more information contact Multnomah County Health Department's Tobacco Prevention program @ 503-988-4163.
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